The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers for sharp objects, or "sharps", such as used hypodermic syringes and other medical supplies.
In hospitals and other medical facilities, it is necessary to provide receptacles for used sharps that inhibit access to the interiors of the receptacles and prevent withdrawal of the sharps previously deposited in them. Also, the receptacles must not leak when they are in upright or typical-use positions. Those features are highly desirable to prevent injuries and the spread of disease that could occur due to the improper handling of used sharps. At the same time, the disposal of an item in the receptacle should be a simple process requiring a minimum of complicated hand motions; preferably, the act of disposal should be a one-hand operation.
Many receptacles have been disclosed that provide the foregoing conflicting features to various extents. Among those are the containers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,779,728 to Hannifl et al.; 4,736,860 to Bemis; 4,715,498 to Hannifl; 4,714,168 to Johnson et al.; and 4,580,688 to Harris et al. All those prior receptacles fail to provide the combination of features and the advantages of the present invention. For example, the container disclosed in the patent to Bemis requires both hands or awkward motions of one hand to operate: the user must first open the container door which is biassed shut, then place the used sharp in the door cradle, and finally shut the door, thereby dumping the cradle contents into the container. The container disclosed in the patent to Johnson et al. has a normally open door, but the interior of the container is not completely enclosed when the door is open.